Albums you do not get...a plea for help and understanding


So like most of you (I bet), I listen to tons of music.  But there are just some albums I never learned to appreciate.  I hope this thread can serve as a teaching tool.  I did not get Mingus at first but now he is one of my favorites.

Perhaps ending each post with, "What am I missing?" would be a good idea.

I will start with Graceland by Paul Simon.  Most of my friends call me crazy (still after all these years...OUCH that was bad) but I never desire to listen to this record.  I get the African influence and rhythm but it just does not impress me.  Alternatively when Peter Gabriel did the African influence thing I found it stunningly good. Paul Simon as a musician impresses me in his other works.  What am I missing?

bancsee

Showing 1 response by realworldaudio

That's the wonderful thing about music, there are so diverse tastes, they often change over time, so it's totally natural not to "get" a vast chunk of recorded music.

My addendum to the issue:

The audio gear bears a VAST impact on how wide your inclusion zone is, and what you consider as beloved, tolerable, or insufferable. The majority of audiophile systems are overspecialized and they allow only a select few genres to play properly, and the excluded genres / songs are just presented so awful to hunt your nightmares.

A system that does not narrow down your choices can allow access even to genres that you found intolerable. I was surprised to get moved to tears by a few pieces that I previously did not get...